Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Less than 24 hrs after the blasts in Hyderabad, a landmine blast in Gaya in Bihar killed eight persons with Naxals as suspects in the incident.

Did you remember any channel showing 'Flash' or any reporter from Patna reporting it? I checked the channels' websites the next evening repeatedly but none of them had taken it on its front page.

Among national newspapers, except one, the remaining papers didn't take the news on its front page. Doesn't it show how blasts in India are treated differently.

Its not just about the toll. Two deaths or even none [but a few injured] in a City can lead to stoppage of all broadcast and live coverage of incident but 10-50 in Chhattisgarh [Jharkhand or other parts] may just be one of the headlines with no follow-up.

In fact, its not just about toll, the place where an incident and occurred and the possibility of the group involved in it, determines its seriousness. So here are a few points, my observations how the electronic media is dictating national agenda, politics and society's attitudes.

Ten points: My Personal Charge-sheet Against Channels

1. It is generally believed that terrorists want to scare us. In this job, Electronic media unfortunately seems to be playing the role of a facilitator. Why can't news of an explosion or blast be shown with restraint or just as news. Yes, it is important but is it so important that all other news and events are dumped. The channels quickly suspend all other programmes and show nonstop live coverage, with reporters and editors, guests and experts on panel.

2. This naturally creates a feeling of'fear' among us, a feeling of siege. We get more scared than we should be and this is really a serious thing. We are made to feel insecure. Due to such coverage, everyone in cities is forced to see and talk about it. When they show nothing else, it is bound to dominate conversation. It is probably done because TRP is measured on the basis of viewership in Cities.

A blast in Gadchiroli or in Assam or in Bastar is not treated as seriously, perhaps, because in rural area people still watch our good old non-hysterical Doordarshan. An example is that when blast in Manipur killed three persons, there was no 'Terror' word but when one person was hurt in Pune, it was termed 'Terror'. Read it here.

3. Even if all the investigative agencies and their officers are mum and say that they have just begun investigation, the 'experts' begin mouthing names of bizarre sounding groups. The names will be taken for days. They will show even photo of man who was killed in a terror strike and defame him as a terrorist, as it happened with a slain politician from neighbouring country whose photo was shown by channels.

4. When last time Hyderabad was targeted, it was the group involving Lokesh Sharma and Devendra Gupta which had planted bomb. They are in jail. Why this possibility that their group could be linked, was not explored?

It is known that Malegaon and Hyderabad were on hitlist of right-wing fanatics, then why along with 'other suspected groups, names of these groups were not taken? Or is it that 'Arabic sounding names' with photos of 'bearded men' bring more TRP! An example to suggest 'what is not termed as Terror'.

5. If the police say they have no clue, the media houses can't accept it. The reason is that every journalist worth his salt probably gets worried that if he doesn't write something, the journalist in rival paper may come out with a strange theory and this guy's stature as 'seasoned journalist or crime reporter' would be affected.

No one cares about the old journalist rule to confirm, check, re-check before doing a story. So why not some wild suggestions or theories. You ask the investigators about names of particular groups. Even if they don't say 'Yes', you can always write "Cops haven't ruled out". That's enough to run the story. Voila. That's magical journalism. And that's how it works in Indian media.

6. With such one-sided coverage, many of these channels, inadvertently, spread communalism and hatred. With photographs of Muslims and their names constantly repeated, it defames an entire community. These channels ought to be retrained.

They have resisted control or censorship in the past, and said that they would do it voluntarily themselves. But they have not been able to do it. There is no self-governing mechanism or code of ethics. People are defamed, and when they get acquitted, their lives are spoiled. There are no apologies.

7.Can't TV channels let police and agencies do their work? With such pressure as created by the electronic media, even the toughest agencies would feel the pressure to somehow catch a few guys and announce a wrap-up ie claim the credit of solving the case so as to shut up these guys. Journalists in India have already lost their credibility to such an extent that they are termed as police stenographers. No wonder, they will write what is told. Arrest of real culprits may or may not take place.

8. If TV channels have understanding of each and every organisation and have dossiers about all the culprits, why these shadowy groups don't get busted once for all. After all, then police must be knowing much more. Then, why incidents keep happening and why so many cases are still lying unsolved.

Isn't there something seriously wrong? Just today a man who was earlier termed 'mastermind' has been acquitted in a case of Karnataka. Once again, there is silence and no apology for defaming the person and destroying his life in the past.

9. Just keep record of news published in prominent newspapers and then tally them when the judgments are delivered, you will realise how we are being fooled. The reports published in many of the papers and aired on electronic media, don't quote officers or even suggesting that which sources are being talked about.

Its simple. You want to name someone or write something weird which comes to your mind. Just write that and in the end add, 'Sources said'. That's how the big circus is going on. Its everywhere. In Hindi and in English, both. Time to call their bluff?

10. I seriously believe that Indian electronic media is practicing Yellow Journalism. In the past, certain evening newspapers or tabloids were known for practicing dirty journalism--writing anything just for selling copies. But now its happening on a far larger scale. Its far more institutionalised. It spread more prejudices and stereotypes.

A large section of citizens is fed up. It is time to control these people [shouldn't there be certain accountability or some limit to which an event can be shown at stretch] who for the sake of eyeballs and TRPs, are hurting our society. This is no journalism. Its simply hysteria that is sold to us, creating scare and terror, causing disharmony.

I wish Government takes note as to how certain TV channels & newspapers are injecting poison in the society. They must take action, restrain this unchecked spread of canards and falsehoods. Journalism was considered the fourth estate, a pillar of democracy. But this pillar has not just weakened, it is affecting our entire democratic edifice.

Kindly save the nation.

[Disclaimer: When I say TV channels and media, it doesn't mean all of them. Its not a sweeping statement and hence I haven't named any of them, though I have screen shots to prove how they indulge in one-sided biased reporting. Still, I am being more responsible than them.]

Thursday, February 14, 2013

The two occasions when you see maximum number of children in the mosque are the two Ids viz. viz. Id-ul-Fitr and Id-uz-Zuha.

There is the special attraction for the day: the joy of getting new dress, 'idee' and elders buying them toys from vendors outside the mosque.

Parents also take children of all ages including toddlers to the mosque on these occasions. Some of the kids are two young and during prayers, start crying.

Girls go dressed in new attire and sit along with their younger siblings. Most of them are below the age of ten years, though it is no rule.

When they show each other their bangles or toys, a snooty one in the rows nearby, may give a disapproving look, just as they do to boys talking or running.

Also, there is a third occasion. On the day of Alvida prayer [the last Friday of Ramzan], you get to see large number of kids including girls.

Though scores of boys are visible in mosques for Juma prayers, girls do not generally go to the mosques of Friday. Only if the family has to hurry up somewhere along with all the kids, and the mosque is on way, then the girl may also go.

The
other day saw a girl along with her brother in the mosque. Though she
was aware about how to offer Namaz, he kept on trying to tell her about
how it is slight different than from praying at home. Children are
often at the last row.

The most colourful sight is at rural Eidgahs or mosques in small towns,
where you see really large proportion of girls among children at the
mosques. Many of the girls carry their infant brothers while they play
and enjoy the festivity outside on Id day. One recalls Prem Chand's story Idgah about the boy Hamid at such places.

Women don't need to go to mosques for prayers. However, they can go and there is no bar at all on their entry. When
they visit a mosque, they pray separately. Mostly it is at historical
and big mosques where they go to take a look, when they use the opportunity to pray there as well.

People on social networking sites keep asking strange questions regarding these aspects. An acquaintance [non-Muslim] asked me if women can enter mosques.I told him, yes they can. Haven't you seen women going to Haj'? He nodded but still seemed unsure about what I had said about mosques.

Arrey bhai, if even you are not a Muslim, you can step into any mosque. If you visit Jama Masjid [Delhi], Mecca Masjid [Hyderabad], Tajul Masaajid [Bhopal] or Atala Masjid [Jaunpur], chances are high that you may spot solitary woman or a group of woman praying.

In some places, there is renewed interest among women, who are going to their own mosques for prayer. However, a majority of the women pray at homes. And if you are outside home or for picnic, you can offer Namaz anywhere, provided that it's a clean place.

Also, in mosques that are along side Dargahs, you see more women praying. In medieval times, there were mosques exclusively for women, in India. Also, in certain big mosques in India, there were areas marked for women to pray.

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